蒋廷黻的《中国近代史》是近代化史观的典型著作，本论文力图从蒋廷黻的整个思想体系入手研究他关于中国近代史的论述，并着重揭示蒋氏这一思想发生、发展、变化及最终定型的背景、动力和过程。蒋廷黻中国近代史论述理论的形成与两大因素密切相关，一是二十世纪二十年代中国民族主义运动凸显的民族主义和帝国主义思想及其对蒋氏原有思想的冲击，二是彼时中国近代史研究呈现的整体趋向，正是在这一思想背景下，蒋氏“历史化、学术化中国近代外交史抱负”得以形成。同时，蒋廷黻关于中国近代外交史的基本观念及其研究主题又与他对中国现实外交政策的关注和评论有密切关系。正是在这种语境中，他展开了对近代史上中英、中日、中俄关系的研究，而这些构成了他中国近代史研究的重点，也是《中国近代史》中最核心的部分。在中英关系方面，蒋氏的开创性贡献在于对鸦片战争之前中国与近代世界接触及反应之历程作出了宏观描述，并指出近代中国受侵略的重要根源在于在近代世界中的落伍。在中日关系方面，他认为中国没有从鸦片战争失败后即开始向西方学习，是造成中国之近代化落后于日本以至于不能抵抗日本对中国侵略的根本原因。在中俄关系方面，他着重研究了近代以来中国大量丧地于俄国的历史，并向人们展示了晚清统治者的表现。在这些研究中，他都希望唤起国家和民族对近代化的认识和重视。蒋廷黻在研究中，不仅吸收了马士及二三十年代西方学术界的前沿成果，而且还重视档案的史料价值，首次大量、系统地运用《筹办夷务始末》等史料进行研究，部分地填补了西方中国近代对外关系史领域的空白。综言之，蒋廷黻的中国近代外交史、中国近代史体系贯穿着两个根本思想，其一，近代化的潮流不可抗拒，中国未来的发展道路必须是认清这种潮流并抓住有利于我的方面进行发展；其二，在国际生活中找出路，最根本的方法是壮大自己的实力，这就要求快速地实现现代化。他将这种思想引入他的中国近代史研究之中，并以之为评价历史人物和历史事件的根本标准。进而言之，蒋氏思想最大的特点是自觉将中国置于一战之后由美国倡导的自由主义的国际秩序及最终形成的华盛顿体系之中，主张与之协调并进。在这一思想指导下，蒋氏的近代化方案也就兼具华盛顿体系的优点和缺陷。因为，尽管任何一个国家都不可能离开国际而独处，但唯有首先能够独立自主地自处，才能实现真正的强大、获得民族的新生。
The China's modern history that was writed by Jiang ting-fu in 1930s is a typical work of modernization history. Based on Jiang ting-fu’s whole thought system, tried to study, his view of modern Chinese history, and reveal not only the occurrence, development ,changes and eventually fomation of his view, but also the background, motivation and process.The nationalism and imperialism in Chinese nationalist movement in the 1920s gave important impact of Jiang’s thought,the artical analyzed the academic trend of modern Chinese history research at that time, and tried to explain how Jiang fomationed his academic ambitions. By discussing Jiang’s basic concepts of modern history and his major academic achievements, and his foreign policy concerns and commentary, in order to reveal the close relationship of Jiang’s academic ambitions and his patriotic enthusiasm. It was just in this context that Jiang launched his research of Sino-British, Sino-Japanese,and Sino-Russian relations. Jiang’s pathbreaking in Sino-British relations history is that he made a macro description of the history of Sino-foreign relationship before the Opium War. He also pointed out that China’s fate in modern history rooted in her lag behind of world. Based on his research of Sino-Japanese relation history, Jiang pointed that it is had not begin to study from the west world after the opium war that resulted in the failure of resisting Japan in 1930s. In the relationship between China and Russia, Jiang focused on China's large loss and the ruler's performance in the Qing Dynasty. Anyhow, no matter from history or realistic perspective, Jiang hoped to arouse his country's attention to modernization.In research, Jiang not only absorbs the achievements of Morse and other western scholars in 1930s, but also used a lot of chinese documents that named Chou Ban Yi Wu Shi Mo in his research, so as to fill a gap in the fields of foreign relations. And he tried to point two fundamental ideas. Firstly, the trend of the modernization can not be defied，and China's future development must acclimate this trend. Secondly, in international affairs, the most fundamental method to strong self is quickly realize modernization. Jiang put these idea in his study of Chinese modern history and as the basic standard of evaluation of historical figures and events. In a word, it is the biggest characteristic of Jiang' thought that he put China's development in the Washington system which was advocated by the United States after world war I..So his modernization scheme have both the advantages and defects of Washington system. Because, although any country may not leave the international and developed alone, but the indepandence is definitely the first and most important factor.
